Modern Lives

Tim and I made a decision over the weekend to start making changes to our lifestyles. "What's this?" you say. . . "Stalwart James and Tim are making a change?" Yes little virgins, we are. It all started when we watched a little documentary entitled Super-Size Me . If you haven't seen it, you absolutely must. After watching it, and once the nausea of the truth it spoke passed, we made a pact to swear off all the crap American society has deemed as not only acceptable, but expected to pass for daily sustenence; i.e., fast and cheap junk food loaded with cholestoral, salt, refined sugars, processed flours and cheeses, and fats or every kind imaginable. I think the American fast-food industry may have even invented a few new fats in the process of their collective chemically altered food processing to make fast-food faster, cheaper, and tastier (not to mention damn near addictive). I mean, where else but America would plain old sugar just not be sweet eno...

. . . but who's counting, really? I'm back now, and I plan to start updating this here blog thing on a more quasi-regular basis, weather and penguins permitting. "Penguins?" you say, "What Penguins?" The evil penguins of mass disruption, that's what penguins. They throw dead fish of discontent and frustration at you, burying you under a cold, slimy, stinking mass of scales and goo until you can barely breathe. They appear in various forms, but they will always be penguins. Mine came to me last year in the form of unceasing unemployment. They tormented me day in and day out waving my English BA in my face and laughing their evil penguin laugh (which is more of a cross between Danny Devito's "Penguin" laugh in Batman Returns and the obnoxious warble of a Harley Davidson sans muffler) at me as they pointed to my dwindling bank account. Then they would bury me in fish. They got me so deluded into feeling like a big fat failure that they actuall...

. . . but I have to say it even though I know I am going to catch flack for it. I don't care, bring it on. Something hit me this evening, and it occurred when I had what I believe is very possibly the last conversation I'll ever have with a quasi-old friend who is currently residing in Australia. We were having a very pleasant conversation via AOL-IM, discussing school, careers, etc. Then the conversation turned to politics and I understand why Tim doesn't approve of political discussion with friends, especially nowadays. He told me he was "pro-Bush" and I responded with "I have to go now". I was actually half-kidding, but when he replied "ok, bye", I realized I shouldn't have been. Maybe it was because I am exhausted from trying to change people's minds, or maybe I'm just tired of the whole election thing, period. However, at that moment I discovered a flaw in that friendship so big that it made maintaining the friendshi...

. . . are all Bush needs at Camp David. 30 Pairs of Presidential Flip-Flops and Waffles with Extra Syrup Anyone Got a Mirror? Happy reading!

I think even He Who Must Not Be Named would be the lesser of the two Republican evils. He , at least, makes no pretense about not being evil. I think the Dark Lord is rather befitting as a figurehead for that party.

This is un-freakin-believable: WASHINGTON - Two of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers had a support network in the United States that included agents of the Saudi government, and the Bush administration and FBI blocked a congressional investigation into that relationship, Sen. Bob Graham wrote in a book to be released Tuesday. Although, I must say it is also pretty typical of the Dick&Bush Cartel, which seems to have a history of un-freakin-believably audacious acts of power abuse and corruption.

Okay, so I didn't blog throughout all of August. I guess I kinda needed a break from it. For those not in the know, job-hunting still at a dead-end, novel finished and in its second working draft, prezzy race still too close to call (unfortunately), and I'm not starting grad school this fall. Actually, now that I think about it, it wasn't so much I needed a break from blogging. After reading back over that list, I realize I haven't written anything in over a month because I didn't have anything new to say--I'm still jobless, out of school, and worried about the future of our nation. See, nothing new. On that note, I should like to say that maybe things will change over the next few weeks. I would say more, but that information is classified . . . for now. However, I can say that I am rather happy with my novel and the two people who I have had immediate feedback from seem to be enjoying it so far (we're only halfway through the first reading). Unfortunately,...

Well, this certainly has been a great week for John Kerry and the Democratic Party. Stirring, thought-provoking speeches from the fresh up-and-comer Barack Obama and the formidible and passionate Rev. Al Sharpton really emphasized the DNC's new strategy of unity and optimism over fear and divisiveness. Sen. John Edwards furthered this plan of action last night with his own speech of the "two Americas" needing a reunion over common goals and values. Sen. John Kerry crowned this week-long demonstration with his own stirring speech that succinctly outlined his plan for America while ascertaining his ability to lead this country to a stronger national identity as well as a restoring its credibility in the global community through hard work, integrity, and unison & pride among its own citizens. Outside respect can only occur once we can respect ourselves and each other here at home. Only when we can look our collective self in the mirror with pride and self-assuredness ca...

Remember the website I created on UTA's server last spring? Apparently it's still there, and it has been generating some interesting responses. While most have been overwhelmingly supportive, three have been . . . well, lets just say less than supportive. Another fascinating facet to those three e-mails is the fact that they came from a military installation. Yes, you read that correctly, an officer of the United States Military has taken time to tell me just how sick and wrong I am. Hmmm, I wonder at this juncture, when public support of the military is so crucial regardless of one's stand on the war itself or its Commander in Chief, if the military could stand the possibly negative publicity that could be generated by the conduct of two of its officers? Well, here goes nothing . . . I decided to post the e-mails I have received concerning my website, both positive and negative. Unfortunately, the first two e-mails I received from a Defense Logisitics Agency of...

Good news! I have officially completed 100 pages of my young-adult novel. I'm in the middle of chapter nine, and I am really excited with the novel's progress on a whole. Okay, enough cheese. I just wanted to share that. Ciao.

I know I haven't posted any poems in awhile, so here is one that seems befitting. Indifference in Deference When wizened men have stooped to folly, She slithers in for the conquest— Indifference, whore of ennui , Let us care naught, Let us dare not, When the whole world has all come undone. She quiets down our hearts—unloving, She stoppers our heads—unknowing, She binds up our hands—undoing, Leaving us cold and unfeeling, Contented in all our discontent. Indifference, sweet Indifference, You are the perfect addiction: Your rusting needle rips my vein, Doing nothing is such a high, Everything is your only cost. Indifference, sweet indifference, Sleep now in your bedded wasteland, Let not lament disturb your rest. Our voices grown faint in t...

Okay, I've decided to start posting a little weekly segment I like to call Discrepancies , in which I will explore those obscure little things in life that just don't make sense. You know the type; those things that happen to catch your attention every now and then that make go, "hmmm, I wonder what that's all about," then you go on about your business and never really give it a second thought. Well guess what, I am going to talk about those things once a week. I may not have answers for them, but feel free to take it upon yourself to research them and leave a comment. Disclaimer : I hold no responsibility for people who take it upon themselves to find answers to my esoteric postulations. If you feel you are taking up too much of your own precious time trying to resolve one of these mysteries, that's your problem. Get a life. These posts (and by "these" I of course mean Discrepancies , the rest of my posts are of course to be held in the highes...

Sorry, Dave. I guess I had remembered the wrong address for your blog, so thank you for clearing that up for me. The link to Dave's Monkey Boy blog is in the list on the right, as is Rene's My Random Mind . A big welcome to Rene!

Okay, this time I promise to wait at least a year before renovating my blog again.  But you have to admit, it's more colorful and stylish now.

I wanted to give a shout out to Angel and Dave, two good friends who have now crossed over to the blog-side: WELCOME! Although Dave has yet to give me his blog's address ( hint-hint ), I have put a link to Angel's It's All Sex, Drugs, and Butterbeer!! to the right. And a big WOW for the new post formatting options. Go Blogger! As soon as I can get Hello! to work, I think I might just add some pictures. :)

Yay! Happy day! My inability to write has lifted and I am happy to say that my young-adult novel is back in progress and almost halfway finished. I'll keep y'all posted on its development.

Ha ha! Take that Bushy! You have been DENIED! I guess everyone probably already knows that Bush's pet amendment designed to relegate gays and lesbians to permanent second-class citizenship has failed to pass in the senate by 12 votes, a lot of which were republicans who opposed the amendment from its inception. How's this for political irony: not only is Dick Cheney's daughter a lesbian (whose opinion concerning the amendment was silenced to the tune of a $100,000/year salary to run her father's re-election campaign), his wife publicly opposed the discriminatory amendment. I wonder what shameless political posture Bush will take next as he cows to the fascist, ultra-conservative, archaically religious, right-wing agenda? So much for "compassionate conservatism"... Read my lips: like father like son.

I have renovated my blog again! I added a links section and moved the counter to the column on the right>>>> I also cleaned up the title. The flags were fun, but I think less is more. Anyway, have a fun Fourth of July weekend, everyone!

It's ironic that we call even our secular government days of remembrance "holidays" when you consider the origin of the word "holiday" is the "Old English hāligdæg, 'holy day'" (OED), a day traditionally set aside for work-free, religious-themed worship or celebration. Now, I am all for religious freedom, but I don't think religion should have the freedom to enter into politics. Apparently, our forefathers felt the same way because, as we all know, while they were writing freedom of religious choice into the Constitution, they also wrote a little clause clearly defining the seperation of church and state. Afterall, we are a democracy, not a theocracy, right? So then why has our president, a man who swore an oath before the entire country, world, and whatever deity you worship, to uphold the spirit and letter of the Constitution of the United States of America, reportedly asked the Pope, leader of the Catholic Religion, to instruct his Ameri...